UPDATE 2/26/2025: This article, first published in 2020, has been updated by the author to include several developments within the industry that have made some of the previous information out-of-date.

College students have returned in droves to dorms and apartments at campuses everywhere. So this is the time of year we usually start seeing some coded entry hacks. [Charmonkey] recently took on the ...

Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Never get locked out again with a smart lock you can control from your phone, with your face, or with a ...

We independently review everything we recommend. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more› By Jon Chase Jon Chase is an editor of smart-home coverage. For Wirecutter, he ...

Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor from 2013 to 2024, Ry's ...

When employing electromagnetic locks, doors generally do not have a door-mounted manual latch release. Because of the absence of a manual latch release, the NFPA has established The Life Safety Code 7 ...

If your smart lock is connected to a voice assistant, be sure to use a PIN to unlock it with voice commands. It's a stretch, but it is possible to create workarounds with IFTTT to avoid using the PIN.

Many of the deadbolt locks tested by Consumer Reports lack the level of protection you might want or expect. In our labs, a few well-placed kicks or a couple of minutes under assault from a cordless ...

Smart locks that supplement or replace your front door deadbolt do much more than lock and unlock your door without a key. Most smart locks (and all of the locks on our top picks list) let you receive ...

Greg Kessinger is SD&I’s fire alarm and codes expert and a regular contributor. Email him your fire & life safety questions at [email protected]. A few readers have posed questions to me about door ...